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What We Told President Buhari About Defections - Senate Leader

While speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting of Senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with President Muhamamdu Buhari on Wednesday night, Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan said they went to assure him of their loyalty.

Lawan who spoke after the meeting which had in attendance 39 senators, the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, and top government officials, said:

"we have come to pay a courtesy call on President, our leader, and we informed him of what happened yesterday (Tuesday) at the Senate and indeed the National Assembly.”

Lawan said; “Less than 24 hours into the defection, we had some discussions with some of our colleagues who defected and they have shown their willingness and interest and readiness to retrace their steps.”

The lawmaker who said the remaining senators are working with the leadership of APC to ensure that those who defected return to the party, added that apart from APC senators, others from the opposition PDP have also indicated their interest to move to the ruling party.

“I want to say that what has happened in the National Assembly yesterday, particularly in the Senate was supposed to be a disagreement in the family, but I think there was a misjudgment.

“When you disagree, you don’t kill or break the entire house or burn it down, you normally sit down and look for solution and way out.

“Going forward, therefore, we believe that this family will get back all its members and for those that have remained in the Senate APC caucus, will definitely receive the kind of attention and support from our party and administration,” he said.

Lawan also said they told Buhari of their resolve to work with him to fulfil the campaign promises made by the APC, added that the party campaigned on three core issues including fighting insecurity, revitalising the economy, especially creation of jobs, and fighting corruption.

He said the APC government is doing well on those promises. “This administration will end as a very successful one. So far we have done so much with so little in terms of giving development and infrastructure across the country.

“2019 will be the year that this administration will be given a renewal by Nigerians and the National Assembly will witness a higher majority of APC in both Houses by the grace of God and of course, across the states, we will have more states,” he said.

On Buhari’s reaction, Lawan simply said “What do you expect when children come to their father and their leader? He was happy to receive us, extremely delighted and of course he has shown his willingness to continue to support the legislature in the implementation of our programmes as a government, as a party.”

He said Buhari also assured them of his commitment to work with the National Assembly.